


The Dream

by whenmysoulsings



Series: Cullen and Ihrá [7]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Kissing, Love Triangles, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 12:23:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17939642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whenmysoulsings/pseuds/whenmysoulsings
Summary: Perhaps one or the other bothers the changing perspectives from which this story is told, but this is supposed to be a kind of intermediate stage to explain where all of the protagonists are standing at this point.





	The Dream

Three nights had passed since the dream.   
Two days in which she hardly recognised herself.  
  
When Ihrá woke up after that night, she‘d felt a little confused but she‘d been sure that she would be fine after a good breakfast. It‘s a dream, nothing else, she told herself.   
However the memories seemed to be omnipresent, pushing themselves into her everyday life without being asked and making it hard for her to focus and concentrate.   
It got worse as soon as Solas was around her, which happened much more often than she preferred.

She was having a conversation with Josephine, when someone was knocking on the door and Solas came in.

"Excuse me.“, he paused, „I'll leave you alone and ..."

"No, no.", Josephine just shook her head, "Come in, we're almost done here."

From the second Solas entered the room Ihrá got nervous. She pretended to listen to Josephine’s words but in truth she was just thinking about how it would have gone on with her and Solas if she hadn’t been interrupted by Cullen or awakened from the dream.

Solas watched her with his arms crossed. His vigilant gaze confused her, had she talked in her sleep? Maybe so loud that he had heard something, or worse, his name? It was hard to imagine, but why else did he look at her so seriously? Tense, she clenched her teeth until it hurt. Her hands got cold, her face was turning red and her heart was racing.

"Okay, then...", Ihrá couldn‘t stand it anymore, "send me the papers when I have to sign them."

Someone with good senses may have heard the tremble in her voice. She rushed out of the room, maybe a little bit to fast and as soon as she was out of sight she hid behind a pillar in the Chantry, to catch her breath, calm herself down and feeling like a childish fool.

Two whole days passed this way. Whenever she let her mind wander, she thought of Soals touching her, how he had kissed her, the desire, the lust. The next moment she felt caught and ashamed. She no longer understood herself. It was quite natural and it had already happened that there was an physical attraction in which she simply gave in. Sometimes the other person felt the same, sometimes some kind of relationship evolved, sometimes it was only for one night or two.

Why was it suddenly so complicated?   
Usually she wasn’t very shy and liked to flirt. Actually, it was easy for her to tease and she thought she would sense it when someone was interested in her. But instead of just seeing things relaxed she tried to avoid him, she tried to suppress all thoughts and feelings. By the end of the days she was exhausted, physically and mentally.

It was silly and childish that a dream was enough to put her off track. Ihrá felt that people were watching her more than usual, and probably her strange behavior led to it.

"It can't go on like this!", she sighed on the third day and pressed her face into the pillow, "I have to stop behaving as if I were out of my mind."

She was getting a headache and furrowed when pain was coming up slightly.

"I have to pull myself together. It was just a dream; such dreams come and go ... "

That was a lie. She could hardly remember any dream comparable to this one. Ihrá lay on her back and stared at wooden ceiling, the pillow pressed tight against her beating heart. No, it had been so different, so intense, almost real. This made it so bad. The dream had sparked an unexplainable longing in her. She lacked and missed physical closeness, and that dream reflected that only in an extreme way. The truth was that she hadn't considered Solas before, not before he had visited her a few days ago ... when the magic threatened her again.

When she closed her eyes, she saw Solas, looking worried but conscientious at her. But she was sure that there had been more in his eyes than concern or fear. The time seemed to stand still, when he lowered his eyes for a brief moment to look at her lips, as if he would lean into a kiss

Startled, she found her face glowing and warming.

"Oh no!", She mumbled and sat up. “I’m really considering Solas…!”

Maybe I just have too much time to ponder and phantasize, she decided and reached for a piece of paper in her vest. Josephine had written down a list of short notes with new inquiries and requests for help, most of them concerning the Stormcoast.

After breakfast Ihrá headed to Josephine's quarter. The door was open and it was Leliana who was leaning over Josephine's shoulder to read the papers Josephine was pointing at.

"You're right", Leliana nodded and sighed, "I'll send someone to check it if it's a mistake or purpose.  
Good morning, Herald.”, she said without looking up, “Feeling better today?"

"Sorry, wha..?"

"You have been very tense in the last few days," Josephine answered for Leliana, "although under these circumstances, it would only be understandable if you were under pressure."

"That's true." Ihrá pretended to be relaxed and leaned against the doorframe. Both of them would notice if she would lie, both had far more knowledge of human nature than her. Strechtching the truth seemed more promising.

"I think it's time to leave Haven and head to the Stormcoast. I really feel shut in, there's so much to do and that's why I'm here. How fast can we be prepared? "

~ . ~  
  


"Okay then, we'll discuss the details in the afternoon and I'll pass by Commander Cullen and let him know."

Josephine wrote down something and finally nodded.

"Could you take this letter with you for Commander Cullen? He has to countersign it."

Leliana handed her an envelope.

Ihrá closed the door behind her and was excited. This journey would help to clear her mind and she would be too busy and tired, that she won't have any time to overthink all this Solas nonsense. Relieved she went out of the Chantry. Outside the sun was shining and the snow glistered peacefully. Ihrá could see and hear Commander Cullen on the training ground, yelling commands and goading his forces.

The sound of his deep voice always made her shiver. Cullen was very good looking and she heard more than once the girls in the kitchen talking about their Lion of Ferelden and how they tried to get his attention. Ihrá wasn't blind, he was handsome and she had fun in flirting with him, especially because of his helplessness when it comes to flirt and tease.

Ihrá lowered her eyes, tugged a strand of hair behind her ears, and engrossed in her thoughts.  
There had been a time when she thought that maybe there could be something more between them, much later when they all won't be in such a danger anymore, when they've got time to know each other...but now...if she could chose…

"By Myth...what...?"

"Oh damn, sorry...I…"

The vial in Solas hands fell to the ground and nearly shattered, when Varric reached for it just in time.

"And that's why dwarfs are so near to the ground, Chuckles."

He handed it back to Solas.

"Hey Boss, daydreaming or just looking for trouble?"

Soals sighed. Of course it had to be Ihrá. She had run straight into him and he had been too busy with the vial to step aside.

"I'm sorry," Ihrá avoided his gaze,  
"I was distracted...thought about someo...something, mhm, but I have to …", she showed an envelope in her hand,  
"I'll hand it to..." , pointing in the direction of Commander Cullen and Solas saw how she her cheeks flush pink when they both looked into each other's eyes for a second or two. It was adorable and he clenched his fist as he felt his heart beat faster.

She passed them quickly and Commander Cullen already turned around when he'd hear her voice.

„Look at her, Chuckles, there she is. Our great hope“, Varric said, „and bears a great deal of responsibility.“  
„Yes, she does.“  
  
"... she doesn‘t lose the courage and the confidence despite these circumstances, you know.“  
„Certainly!“

„And above all that, she has a really nice butt.“  
„Inde...“,

Fuck, Solas thought, angry about running headless in this stupid trap and tried not to move any muscle in his face to give Varric any hint of his emotions.

„Ha, Chuckles, falling for our Boss, he?“ Varric giggled „I knew it, she behaved strange the last days...so you and her...“  
„You overestimate your abilities, Master Tethras. She is an attractive woman, anyone can see that, that’s a fact. There is no miracle you‘ve revealed. And now“,   
Solas put the vial in his robe, „thank you for helping me to get this vial.“  
  
He turned to leave, but stopped as he saw Commander Cullen loosen his cloak and another soldier handed Ihrá two swords. He and Varric were standing nearby the training ground and he could see Ihrá getting ready for sword exercises with Cullen. She was smiling, her lips formed a nearly tempting grin, and Solas cursed himself, that the first things, that came to his mind were the taste of her soft lips.

You‘ve caused enough chaos, you egocentric fool, he said to himself.

He noticed how different and stressed Ihrá behaved since this night, when he sneaked in her dreams, when he lost control, let himself carried away by these irrational feelings. His intentions had been to watch her, to give her a familiar moment of peace. His purpose had never been to come so close, to touch her, to feel her skin...to get to involved...but, in some rare moments, he had to confess, that it was more than a fact how appealing she was and, to make matters worse, how appealing she was for him.

It was hard to him to suppress the urge to meet her again. His thoughts lingered around the sweet memories of being close to her, causing pleasure and pain in his soul.

He couldn't dare to give in.  
He would hurt her.  
He would ruin her.  
And that would probably ruin everything.

„What‘s it for?“, Solas heard Varrics voice.  
„More specific...“  
„The essence in the vial.“  
„It is an oil of a rare herb, allied to elfroot, to ease pain without magic.“ Solas answered and made a few steps but before he finally walked away he then turned his head to add,   
„But I‘m sure, Master Tethras, you already knew everything about it before you handed it over.“

The blades clattered as Ihrá parried Cullen's attack. They had just begun to alternate with attacks and parades and Cullen had been surprised that she‘d asked him for a spontaneous exercise. Normally, she trained with Cassandra or another soldier when Cassandra was busy.  
This surprise was a pleasure to him. He had been aware for a long time that he valued her beyond the professional level - no, it was already more than that - he liked her a lot.

It wasn’t only her appearance which caught his interest; she wasn‘t a classic beauty or a damsel in distress. He’d seen many beautiful women and he was no longer a boy who just wanted to add a nice trophy to his collection. She was smart, strong, brave and so refreshingly different. He was willing to know her better but he wasn‘t sure if she might feel the same. Maybe she was just polite and friendly. He wasn‘t that special and he was much better in fighting than romances.

Cullen regretted his lack of concentration soon: he was a second too late when he tried to parry her strike, and so he struggled to absorb the impact of her bow and his wrist stretched uncomfortably.  
It was a short pain, Ihrá went back to her starting position without having noticed anything. She was not as petite as other elves he had ever seen, of which most had been magicians or servants. In this posture, he could see her strong arms, not like Cassandra's or other female soldiers who often wore sword, shield, and armor, and thus had to carry much more load, but strong enough for powerful and deadly precise hits.

"I'm warmed up, Commander," and her voice had that special tone, remind him of liquid honey,  
"I think we can move on to the next level."  
„Well then, Herald, I‘m ready whenever you are...“  
  
They would no longer alternate their moves rather practise a real fighting situation.  
Cullen fought without shield and only with his bastard sword. He took a stable position, legs apart and slightly bent forward, and expected her first move. Ihrá didn‘t hesitate, she jumped forward and hit hard in his parade. Cullen pushed her back, raised his sword and tried to hit her shoulder, but she saw that coming. She stepped aside and their blades clashed with a sharp sound.

After a short while both of them were too engaged in their fight and they didn‘t notice a small crowd of onlookers gathering around them. They were on a par, Ihrá made up for Cullen's power by her maneuvrability, dodging his hard blows and whirling around him. It tore at her strength, she was sweating and gasping, and so was Cullen.  
He started a double strike, attacked her hip first where she deflected his sword and tried to push him back, and with that impulse he raised his sword again as she had to bring herself back to a more stable stance, and wanted to hit her shoulder with the flat edge.

Steel hit steel.  
  
Ihrá had been able to turn and stabilise at the last moment. That alone was amazing enough for Cullen, but he didn‘t expected her to tilt his sword between her two blades that he couldn‘t pull it out.

He didn‘t have so many options. In a real fight he would try with all his strength to bring down his opponent. Consciously aware of the people watching them and, above all, aware of the whole situation, he didn‘t want to weaken her position as 'the Herald of Andraste'. On the other hand, there was still so much power in her, or it was the way she had fixed his sword in, that she was pushing hard against him. It looked like they both would not give in. Cullen still had doubts as Ihrá moved the swords slightly so that his wrist twisted and he realised that she was destabilising him.

Then Ihrá smiled, not cute or lovely, but perky, fierce and irresistibly sexy, as Cullen thought. He smirked back and she was loosening her blades so he could pull out his sword easily  
  
Ihrá dropped her swords, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and offered Cullen her hand. When both shook hands, the audience applauded and he realised how her hand in his flinched for a second, as if she was suddenly aware of the audience.

"That was a great fight, Commander."  
"It was a great pleasure, Herald," he replied, pulling her a little closer to whisper, "I hope next time you can show me the trick with the stucked sword."

"Mhm, I don't know...maybe," she purred conspiratorially. "It's an ancient Dalish move, known by the name, ‚Inor shol‘."

"Inor shol?"

"It means", and she leaned forward until her lips brushed his ear "Between the thighs."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I had to force myself through this chapter.   
> First I wanted to omit the chapter and immediately proceed to the next, intimate meeting of Solas and Ihrá. But while writing, I noticed that it also helps me to figure out how people relate to each other and what they think, what they bother, in order to better understand it in the following chapters.  
> I hope you weren't too bored. I#m looking forward to the next chapter - I've got so many ideas :-)
> 
> Please let me know if you like it, hate it, see things in a different way. I'm always curious about your opinion.


End file.
